CAMBRIDGE BAY, NUNAVUT -- A couple of nights ago the Cambridge Bay Daycare was added to the Google Map. Then came the Northern Store, a high school, the wellness centre, the local bank, and finally, after dozens of businesses and roadways were added, the old stone church off of Ovayuk Road materialized on the Google Map of this isolated Arctic community.

It all happened in the space of a couple of hours at a community MapUp hosted by Cambridge Bay mapping expert Chris Kalluk and the Google Maps team. It was an amazing experience, watching 16 local residents use Google Map Maker to make sure the world they know so well is accurately reflected back to them on this map of the 21st century.

Cambridge Bay residents during the MapUp

Yesterday and today we’ve been pedalling the Street View Trike along the gravel roads of this tiny hamlet and capturing some indoor imagery as well, so that in a few months - once the images are uploaded - you’ll be able to take a 360 degree virtual tour of the places that were added at this very special MapUp.

Finishing the MapUp

There was a sort of giddy excitement in the room where the MapUp was held Wednesday night. But it wasn’t just seeing places like the Elder’s Palace spring to life on the map... it was the realization that Cambridge Bay - and the culture of the Inuit people who live here - suddenly had a global audience.

Anna Nahogaloak, an elder in the community and a renowned seamstress, captured the significance of the moment:

I think that it is important for Inuit people to contribute to the maps.

It is important for everybody. The land is everybody’s land. We all share it.

Anna’s vision is our vision. And we look forward to sharing her map with you.